Overview

• ABC confirmed on Sept. 17 that Jimmy Kimmel Live! is pre‑empted indefinitely after major station groups Nexstar and Sinclair said they would not carry the show.
• FCC chair Brendan Carr condemned Kimmel’s remarks about the Charlie Kirk killing and floated possible regulatory avenues, a posture that has fueled free‑speech concerns across the industry.
• Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner publicly blasted the suspension as capitulation to intimidation, joining a widening chorus that includes late‑night peers and hundreds of comedians.
• Hollywood support has escalated with celebrity boycott calls and petitions, including posts from Pedro Pascal, Tatiana Maslany and Marisa Tomei, while WGA members staged a protest outside Disney offices in New York.
• Reporting describes a “standoff” after Kimmel met with Disney executives without reaching a deal, as coverage highlights Disney’s broader regulatory and business pressures and notes bipartisan warnings, including from Sen. Ted Cruz, about government overreach.